Sunday, May 11, 2008

Let me just say up front that there is nothing nutritionally redeeming about this cake. This is just pure dessert, plain and simple. Today is Mothers' Day (go phone your Mom right now if you forgot) and I know that there is nothing Vegan Mom likes more than a good dessert. And, it just so happened that the grocery store had reduced its price on dairy-free ice cream (which probably means they are discontinuing it). Who was I to deny this aligning of the stars? I knew I had to make an ice cream cake or face the wrath of the dessert gods.

METHODMake sure you have a good freezer so that this cake will harden. I suggest cranking the freezer up to max before starting. 1. Make sure vanilla ice cream is softened, but not melted. Press vanilla ice cream into the loaf pan (fingers work best, so make sure your hands are clean). Ice cream should be about 1/2 inch thick on bottom and sides of pan. Leave about a 3/4 inch space clear to the top of the pan. Stick pan in freezer to let ice cream firm up.2. Remove pan from freezer. Place chopped cuties into the pan and fill spaces around the chopped bits with caramel sauce. Use a silicon spatula to smooth everything flat. Return to freezer to firm up.3. Put chocolate ice cream on top of cutie-caramel layer, leaving a trench in the middle for the chocolate pudding filling. Fill trench with cooled pudding. By now, the chocolate pudding and ice cream should be flush with the vanilla ice cream. Return to freezer to let firm up.4. Mix Oreo crumbs with melted margarine. Press firmly onto the ice cream, covering everything. Cover pan with foil and return to freezer for at least an hour.5. When it is time to serve the cake, run a knife along the sides of the pan to detach the cookie layer from the pan (i.e. don't loosen the whole side). Place the pan in warm water for a few seconds. Put a cutting board on the top of the pan and flip pan upside down. Give a few good shakes to loosen cake (put back in water if it won't release). The cookie layer should now be on the bottom. Return to freezer to firm up. Slice and serve!

METHOD1. Whisk cocoa powder and cornstarch powder together in a saucepan. Whisk in soy milk then cook over medium heat until bubbling and thick, stirring constantly with a spoon. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips until melted. Place in fridge to cool down.

This would also make a good pudding to eat as actual pudding. Double the recipe and stir in a tbsp of margarine and tsp of vanilla in at the end.UPDATE: Here is the cake after a night in the freezer. You can see each layer a bit better and everything has firmed up nicely. Probably not a bad idea to make this the day before you want to serve it.

Oh, I will have to send my dh to this link to plant a seed for next year! It was way too cold here for ice cream cake (although I would have eaten it...looks wonderful1) today, but I will keep this in mind if the warm weather ever gets here for good.

BTW So Good ice cream and soymilk is produced using Solae (a modified GMO soy product from Dupont and Bunge corporation). Soale is used in So Good products as well as many Yves products (they usually even have a solae logo on the back of them). Stay away from them if you don't want to eat frankenfood.

I don't know if it's available anywhere outside of the downtown Vancouver - haven't seen it elsewhere but Mario's Gelati has a vegan version and it's good, really good, like I would serve to non-vegan good, and it doesn't have the nasty aftertaste.

According to the So Good website:"So Good is made from non-genetically modified soy protein by Identity Preservation. What this means is that a monitoring system has been put in place which controls each step of the manufacturing process -- from seed selection to planting and harvesting, transportation and processing -- to ensure no genetically modified soybeans enter the supply stream at any time."

I sent them an email for clarification and will post their response.

I also found this, if you are concerned about Solae--it is a list if products that use Solae. So Good milk is on it, but not the ice cream.

OK, so So Good emailed me back. They repeated exactly what is on the website (I posted that in a previous comment), plus this extra tidbit: "So Nice is certified Organic by QAI (Quality Assurance International), who do not certify anything that is genetically modified, that is your assurance."

I also can't find anything saying the Solae is actually genetically modified. You will note on the list of products that use Solae, Mori-Nu tofu is on there. But, Mori-Nu also appears on a list by True Foods saying it has non-GMO in it.

You are a pretty amazing Dad. Just found your blog, it's fantastic. Printing off several of your recipes. Just wondering, you mention you are from Northern Ontario, where are you located? I have a hard time shopping as I live in Elliot Lake, Ont. I bet it's small then where you live. Any shopping tips you have would be great. Maybe a post?? I have to do a lot of shopping out of town.Your blog is on my daily must read!

Hi, North of 17!I do my shopping at No Frills, Sobey's, and Bulk Barn (or Bins and Bins). I am not sure if I have any great tips to share, especially since you live in a much smaller town than I. But, here goes anyway.

1. If you have some land, start growing your own veggies this summer. It is cheap, tastes great, can be organic, and a lot of fun.

2. The essentials: supply of fresh veggies, tofu, beans, lentils (and good spices). Vegan food does not have to be complicated. Stick with ethnic dishes (Indian, Ethiopian) that are relatively simple and are packed with nutrition.

3. Realize that you don't need fancy vegan substitutes (meat, sour cream, mayo, etc.). They are really expensive here, you can often make your own. They are nice to have, don't get me wrong, but they aren't essential.

4. Do the best you can. It is next to impossible to get a margarine here that is whey-free (and, I am willing to bet, impossible in Elliot Lake). Just do what you can do.

5. Pester your local grocer for more vegan products. It never hurts to ask.

i made this last night for my husband's birthday tonight and i think it's gonna be good but i was a bit thrown by "2 tbsp cup cocoa powder"! i went with 2/3 cup for some reason and that was definitely too much, but i improvised and ended up with some pretty good pudding.

also, this is about the caramel sauce: it might not matter if you use salted earth balance but i used unsalted margarine and i really needed to add a pinch of salt. that might be worth noting!

i love this blog by the way! i'm forever printing things out and trying them.